Happy New Year!

2016! Can you believe it? It's seems like I was just getting used to writing 2015. But here we are in a new year. I always start the year watching bowl games and working jigsaw puzzles. And this year was no different. But finally got to my craft studio this week. I had to spend a few days just cleaning it up. So, many gift wrapping things scattered about.
I got a great gift from my sister for Christmas. It is the Leisure Arts "Card Sketches for Paper Crafters". We draw names in my extended family and give gift ideas. So, this is a book I had seen at Barnes and Noble. It is jock full of template designs for cards, tags and more.

I've been having fun using it the last two days. Here's a CASE of a card in the book.

Happy Accident

I was working on a card using this Best Year Ever Designer Series Paper. I had made my cut for a 4"x5-1/4" piece of it and then my paper cutter blade fell down on the remaining 4"x6-3/4" piece and cut it diagonally. I hate when I do that! Usually I just put that piece back in the package and hope I will use it later. But this time I challenged myself to make something with it. I like how it turned out. 

The stamped image is from the Another Great Year stamp set. I stamped once on white and cut with circle punches and then stamped a second time on Crushed Curry and fussy cut the banner to layer.  I colored the candles with Blendabilities markers. More circle punching in Tangelo Twist and Crushed Curry and a strip of the Bermuda Bay Sequin Trim and all layered on a stamped piece of Tangelo Twist. The dots were made using a stamp from the Work of Art stamp set. (You gotta get it!) After everything was layered I had a few of the Bermuda Bay sequins laying on my work surface so I added them to the card and topped them with a little rhinestone. I love when little mishaps turn into happy accidents!